Autism West

Connect, be inspired, learn and share at the fourth Autism West Symposium. Come and listen to experts in the field, including those with lived experience, and hear about early intervention, evidence-based practical advice, the latest research, personal experience and more!

Taking place across one and a half days, the Autism West Symposium 2018 will include keynote presentations and break-out sessions exploring a wide range of topics from practical advice for recent diagnosis through to issues involving interactions with the justice system.

Julian is Team Manager of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training in the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), a mental health educator and professional certified Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) trainer (certified by Cornell University). Julian delivers TCI consultancy services as well as delivering TCI for families. Julian has worked as a senior clinician in the child and adolescent mental health service for over 30 years and has collaborated with senior mental health clinicians, child protection, legal professionals and clinical therapists to develop and establish the first therapeutic residential treatment program in Western Australia for children with developmental trauma. Julian holds a Doctorate of Health Science, and a PhD in Clinical Leadership and Management.

Kathleen Davey

Kathleen Davey is a Clinical Psychologist who deciphers the autism spectrum in legal contexts. Kathleen works with individuals, families and legal teams across criminal, family and workplace law contexts. She provides consultation, workshops, medico-legal reports, and expert opinion on a range of matters involving people of all ages on the autism spectrum. Kathleen has spent seventeen years building a strong professional understanding of the Autism Spectrum across the lifespan, currently runs a private Psychology practice, and is Principal Consultant at the Social Skills Training Institute for the Secret Agent Society program. Her forensic interest has extended into membership of the editorial team of Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, involvement in international forensic research and interest groups, international conference presentation and work with renowned autism experts Professor Gary Mesibov and Tony Attwood.

Kathy Ziatas

Kathy has a Post Graduate Diploma in Speech Pathology and a PhD in Psychology at the University of Western Australia, and is a dedicated clinician in her own successful practice. She greatly enjoys working with children and adults with autism spectrum and communication disorder, where the core of her work centres around improving communication in order to have flow through to other areas of function (academic, social, independence, work and family). She has a special interest in Person Centered Planning, systemic intervention into social, communication and behavioural difficulties, social stories, group therapy and theory of mind development.

Liz Pellicano

Liz Pellicano has recently been appointed Professor in Educational Studies at Macquarie University, having previously been Professor of Autism Education and Director of the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE) at University College London. An internationally-regarded experimental psychologist, she is committed to understanding the distinctive opportunities and challenges faced by autistic children, young people and adults and tracing their impact on everyday life – at home, at school and out-and-about in the community. She has been consistently dedicated both to ensuring that the outcomes of her research are as influential as possible in education policy-making and to enhancing public understanding of autism, its challenges and opportunities.

Michael John Carley

As Founder, and first Executive Director of GRASP, the largest membership organisation in the world comprising adults on the autism spectrum, Michael John Carley has spoken at over 150 conferences, hospitals, universities, and health care organisations, including training at numerous school districts and Fortune 1000 companies. As Executive Director of Integrate he has spoken at conferences focusing on human resources, corporate diversity and inclusion, and works with large companies to help train them manage existing spectrum employees, or to increase their confidence in hiring new ones. Michael John was one of two people on the spectrum to address the US Congress in their first-ever hearings on autism, he has addressed the United Nations, his articles have been published in magazines such as Autism Spectrum News, Autism Spectrum Quarterly, and Autism/Asperger Digest, and for four years he had a column with Huffington Post (“Autism Without Fear”). He is also the author of four books: Asperger’s from the Inside-Out (Penguin/Perigee 2008), Unemployed on the Autism Spectrum (Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2016), ‘The Book of Happy, Positive, and Confident Sex for Adults on the Autism Spectrum… and Beyond! (late 2018), and The Last Memoir of Asperger’s Syndrome (unsigned). Michael John proudly sits on the Board of Directors of NEXT for Autism, on the Advisory Boards of GallopNYC, and C.H.A.S.E., and reviews for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (JADD).

Nichole Conolly

Hailing from Brisbane, QLD; Nichole Conolly was diagnosed with Aspergers/ Anxiety at the age of 19. She has overcome many challenges in her life and speaks candidly about them with a quirky sense of humour with the dreams of advocating for and empowering others.

Nichole is currently studying her Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies at UOW with the future goal of be coming a Teacher Aide specialising in Autism. Life and work experiences include six years working as a circus performer and teacher with Lorraine Ashton’s Classic Circus, writer for the 2017 Brisbane Season of Company 2’s Kaleidoscope, volunteering at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and is currently a theatre columnist for Australian theatre website Theatre People.

Conference experience includes being a presenter at 2017’s Asia Pacific Autism Conference in Sydney, 2016’s Arts Activated Conference in Sydney and 2015’s 3rd National Aspergers Conference in Brisbane.

This is Nichole’s first visit west and she is excited to visit the home of her AFL team Fremantle and take a photo with a quokka.

Nicole Rogerson

Nicole Rogerson is one of the nation’s leading spokespersons for the awareness and understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder. For more than 15 years, she has been working on public policy, advocacy and early intervention service delivery. In 2007 Nicole founded Autism Awareness Australia, now Australia’s leading national autism not-for-profit organisation. The organisation combines her passion for developing national education programs that promote understanding of ASD, and supporting and advocating for the needs of individuals on the spectrum and their families.A passionate disability advocate and social policy campaigner, she is a frequent public speaker on these issues and often appears in the media advocating for families with children on the spectrum. She is a determined advocate for evidence-based interventions and funding support for individuals with disabilities.

Rachel Biggs

Rachael has a lived experience of Autism Lvl 2 with co-morbidities with mental health. She was diagnosed by a private Psychiatrist and Psychologist at the age of 30. She is now 32, and has three children aged 10, 6 and 4, one of which is diagnosed on the spectrum. Rachael’s career at time of diagnosis was a Trainer and Assessor for Disability/Aged Care Support Workers, an irony which should give example to the level of masking in women and its costs on mental health to function with a society. Because of diagnosis, Rachel was able to access the now defunct WANDIS (Western Australian Trial of the National Disability Scheme) and the eventual introduction of the NDIS, supports of which were not traditionally supported by the Disability Support Systems of Australia for adults on the autism spectrum. Rachael is an active participant within the adult autism and Asperger’s community within Western Australia and gives back to her community through peer support. She is a member of the only group within Western Australian that represents and works on a model of peer support, PA5 – The Perth Autism and Asperger’s Association. Rachael is an advocate for access to diagnosis for the missing girls and women with Autism Spectrum Disorder with effective, timely, choice and control delivered through the NDIS.

Regina Ledo

Regina is a psychologist with over 25 years’ experience in working with individuals with autism and their families. She returned to Perth in 2011 after working for 13 years at the Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI) – a private, centre-based intensive educational program for children and adults with autism.

PCDI delivers science-based intervention based on the principles of applied behaviour analysis (ABA). During that time she held the position of Trainer in Applied Behaviour Analysis Skills, supervising the implementation of education and home-based programs to children in the Institute’s Early Intervention and School Age Program.

In the last five years of her time at the Institute, she lived with her husband and two children in one of PCDIs two group homes, which uses the Teaching Family Model to deliver home and community-based intervention to five young adults with autism. During that time she presented papers at national and state conferences on autism intervention including joint attention, language and social skills intervention.

Prior to her move to the United States, Regina was employed for six years as a Psychologist at Mildred Creek Centre, part of the Disability Services Commission, where she conducted diagnostic assessments and delivered intervention to young children with a diagnosis of ASD. She was also a founding participant in the Murdoch University Young Autism Project. Her research and clinical interests are in the area of early intervention, joint attention skills, and challenging behaviour. She is currently in private practice, consulting to families and agencies supporting individuals with ASD and intellectual disability.

Tom Tutton

Tom Tutton, from Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), started work for the severe challenging behaviour team in the UK in 1997 working closely with students on the spectrum to maintain home and school placements. Subsequently, after 3 years completing a clinical psychology degree at Southampton University and more than 10 years supporting people on the spectrum in classrooms, schools, family homes and communities through direct service, training and research, he has never wanted to do anything else. Tom has spoken at Asia Pacific Autism Conferences, the Autism Congress in Singapore 2017 and the Association of Positive Behaviour Support conference in Denver 2017. Tom coordinates Aspect’s Autism Friendly Australia work that has included work with Taronga Zoo, Coles, the Museum of Contemporary Art, VIVID festival and Surf Life Saving Australia.

Joshua, Kemi and Alyssa are a team of Accredited Exercise Physiologists and researchers from Thriving Paediatric Programs at University of Western Australia. Thriving is an exercise service specialising in delivering tailored exercise programs for children and young people whose ability to participate in community or school-based physical activity is impacted by behavioural, social and/or medical conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. At Thriving specialised and trained instructors work with many kids and teenagers on the spectrum and aim to improve physical fitness and movement confidence using a wide range of exercise modalities and training strategies. The Thriving team are passionate about the role exercise can have in facilitating learning and development of children with autism, and are well versed in the physical, social and psychological health benefits of exercise participation for individuals on the spectrum. The team will share information around the role of exercise, and share practical strategies for motivating and encouraging activity participation for kids and teens on the spectrum.

Watch this space for more information about speakers and topics soon!

The Venue

The 2018 Autism West Symposium will be held at the beautiful Pan Pacific in Perth, Western Australia.

We have secured limited discounted accommodation for those wanting to make the most of the event. To book and claim your discounted accommodation please click here.

After the huge success of the 2016 cocktail party, Autism West is pleased to invite you to our 2018 event to be held in Fremantle on Friday 15th June. We expect it to be a night to remember with exceptional food, French champagne, premium wine and stadium quality beer. Thank you to our product supporters Torre Butchers, Deep Woods wines, Gage Roads & champagne sponsors, MAEK.

100% of ticket sales revenue will go straight to Autism West. This has been made possible by the generous support of LSV Borrello Lawyers, AudioHUB, Amex Corporation, Paspaley Pearls, Euroz Charitable Foundation, Pedersens Hire, Paul Salmeri (chef) and Vince Salpietro (Grand Cru Wines). In 2016 tickets sold out within weeks. If you don’t want to miss out on the party of 2018, then be quick and buy your tickets.

About Robyn Steward

Currently working as a research associate at University College London, Robyn travels the world teaching people about autism. She is the author of two books “The Independent Woman’s Handbook For Super Safe Living On the Autistic Spectrum” and out in 2019 “The Autism Friendly Guide to Periods”.

Charlie and Julian are participants of Autism West’s Creative Skills program and together share a mutual love for The Wiggles, being fans of group since they were 2 years old.

They have attended every Wiggles concert and together have every video, DVD and CD The Wiggles have ever produced. They have also visited Wiggle World in Queensland, and have seen changes to the groups line-up over the many years.

Charlie is the performer of the group, especially when a Wiggles song is on. He thoroughly enjoys singing, dancing and assisting in choreographing others to perform alongside him.

Julian enjoys performing, and is in his element when encouraging others to join in singing and dancing.

Julian and Charlie have even formed a Wiggles band, with Julian as Anthony, the Blue Wiggle, and Charlie as Greg, the Yellow Wiggle. They practice singing and dancing together and have even made a cardboard big red car!

Charlie and Julian recently got the chance to see The Wiggles in Perth, thanks to our Community Partners, VenuesWest.

VenuesWest is making a huge effort to understand and accommodate people with autism at their events. They provided Charlie, Julian and their families an awesome experience in the corporate box at Perth Arena, helping to make seeing their life long idols more enjoyable and stress-free.

As a bonus, the boys got to meet The Wiggles the next day, and were so excited and a little star struck!!! Julian got to have a chat with his favourite and original Blue Wiggle ‘Anthony Field’, and even got his CD’s signed.

The boys biggest wish is to visit the Hot Potato Studio in Sydney to watch The Wiggles record – and perhaps even record their own single!

About the Autism West Creative Skills Program

The Autism West Creative Skills program was established in August 2016 to provide a service for adults (18-30) on the autism spectrum with complex needs.

The Creative Skills program allows participants to be themselves in a setting that enriches their lives while through exploring their individual interests as well as providing the opportunity to discover new special interests.

One of the focal special interests identified by the group members has been music and dance, with The Wiggles being the most popular group by far for song choice by its members.

Earlier in the year, the Lake Karrinyup Country Club Ladies’ Charity Day was held.

During the Lake Karrinyup Country Club Ladies’ Charity Day, the ladies who attended played golf and bridge, and as in previous years, there were stalls selling craft, preserves, cakes, raffles, and their ‘Half Way House’ was used as a cafe for the day.

Each year the Lake Karrinyup Country Club Ladies’ Charity Day has sponsors for raffles and for all of the 18 holes, the support enabling them to raise an amazing amount of money. This year, Autism West was one of the beneficiaries, withLake Karrinyup Country Club donating a whopping $15,000 to Autism West!

Thank you to the ladies from Lake Karrinyup Country Club who worked hard to make this day a success. We are incredibly grateful for the donation which will help us continue to run our social groups for young people with autism!

YES & AWESOME Groups are coming to Rockingham in February 2018!

Currently running in Fremantle, Claremont and Marangaroo, YES Group (Youths Engaging Socially) is a social group for young people with ASD aged 13-18, where they can have fun, develop new friendships, and learn new skills. We will also be starting a new AWESOME group in Rockingham, for kids aged 10-15.

To register your interest in either group, please contact Trudi-Anne Gribble on 0417 979 649 or via email at tgribble@autismwest.org.au.

Ahead of Holly Bridges’ appearance at the 2017 Autism West Symposium in November 2017, Nick McAllister caught up with her for an exclusive interview.

What myths or perceptions do you think exist still in society around someone who identifies as being on the Autism Spectrum? Do you think that through your work and events such as the 2017 Autism West Symposium, beliefs can be changed?

There are still so many myths and preconceptions about autism. “People with autism have no empathy; they are like repetitive tasks; they don’t like to socialise”. I think events such as the 2017 Autism West Symposium do a great service for allowing the autism community a wider voice. Yes, I definitely think that we can help change beliefs. And my work is helping to shift perceptions of what can be achieved.

Why should we reframe our thinking around Autism?

It can be limiting to see autism as just a brain disorder (or divergence). In reality autism is very multi-faceted. People on the spectrum are all very different and they change and grow over a lifetime. What is consistent is the physical aspects of autism and we need to give them more attention.

How far away are we from pushing past the ‘glass ceiling’ of autism?

There is still a long way to go. Despite a lot of information to the contrary people are still being conditioned to think of it as an issue primarily in “the brain”. We can get so far with that model.

We need to broaden our definition of autism to include the body and to see it as a systems issue. More and more research is pointing to the link between the brain and the body and we need a competent model for this. The Polyvagal Theory is a wonderful model for understanding the complexity for autism.

Can you briefly explain the Polyvagal Theory?

The body can go into an involuntary shut down as a safety response. Our vagus nerve controls the eyes, ears, face, voice and feelings and can switch it all on and when we feel safe and when we do not.

You state on your latest blog post that every student can upgrade their mind/body connection given the right tools how do they go about obtaining those tools & empowering themselves?

The first thing to do is to recognise so many of the difficulties of being on the spectrum is physical. When you say about anxiety or sensory issues “oh that’s just autism” or “oh that’s just who I am” you can’t do much about it. When you see how much it is part of learn and body patterns, there is so much more you can do. This is first and foremost. Then we slowly begin to reconnect and retrain the system. It’s actually quite simple. It is what I teach.

You also stated that you work to help those you work with fit into their body better do you believe that, that applies to only those on the spectrum or can it be applied to those who aren’t on the spectrum?

Yes, we all have a nervous system. We can all upgrade how our body responds to stress. We can all learn to improve or help our body to stay connected and responsive under duress. It is just a bit harder for people on the spectrum because they are generally quite disconnected from their bodies. Also I don’t really focus on neurodiversity in my work except to appreciate the individual and how they respond to their body and to their world. If anything I like to focus on sameness. We all have a nervous system, how we get you to have a better relationship with yours? What does this mean to you?

Do you believe there is an autism gender gap?

Yes, we tend to judge women’s behaviour differently. We are less tolerant of women not conforming to social norms and we often misread or misinterpret their behaviour. That said there is a lot of research coming out about testosterone and autism and I think that this can help to explain the greater prevalence of autism in males. It fits in well with the P.V.T.

You have a 5 element program that you offer your clients on a 1-to-1 basis. How did you narrow down which elements were important? And which areas needed the most focus in order to enable those who come for a consult with you to achieve the best results?

I tried to look at what was needed sequentially and what is first and foremost is that people need to feel safe. They need to feel well met and connected to the work so that they want to learn. This is paramount. It has to make sense to you if it is to be of beneficial. It has to be about you and what you think and what you want.

What do you want to achieve through your progressive approach to Autism and Asperger Syndrome?

I want to widen our appreciation of who and what people on the spectrum can do and be. I also want to upgrade our approach to therapy to include the PVT model. There is so much more that we could be doing.

Finally, where do you see your work taking you? So have you achieved all that you set out to as you have your consultancy business and you are an author within the autism field, what’s next for you?

I have just got back from a 6-week tour of the USA and I intend to go back there early next year to begin training people in this work. I am also doing a tour of the UK and Europe.

So many people are interested in this theory and the application of it. The more people I can share it with the better.

Many people find the current model of autism limited and they are wanting more.

This theory makes sense and in particular it makes sense to the people who actually live with autism. So I will continue to do this work and continue to develop my practice.

Holly Bridges will be speaking at the 2017 Autism West Symposium, which will take place on the 3rd & 4th November at the Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle. Tickets are selling fast so don’t miss out – grab yours by clicking here.

About Holly Bridges

Holly Bridges is author of Reframe your thinking around autism and an advocate for a progressive approach to Autism and Asperger Syndrome. She is a keynote speaker, workshop leader and 1:1 therapist. Her mission is to facilitate progress with those on the spectrum to greater and greater levels of resilience and self-mastery. Rather than working from a ‘brain deficit’ model of autism Holly starts from the premise that every student can upgrade their mind / body connection, if they are given the right tools and are treated respectfully, positively, and creatively.

It is the must-see event in 2017 for individuals on the autism spectrum and their family members, educators, service providers and researchers.

Taking place acrosS one and a half days in November 2017, the Autism West Symposium: ‘The Big Picture’, will feature a variety of autism experts from across Australia and internationally, including those with lived experience, employers, clinical practitioners, educators and inspirational speakers. This year we will also feature various employers championing the employment of those with ASD.

The Autism West Symposium is a must-attend event for:

Health Professionals – Pick up mental health strategies to assist people with autism and hear the latest in autism research from the Curtin University Research team

Education Professionals – Hear all about the benefits of mentoring young people on the spectrum as well as how to develop strategies to address behaviours of concern for individuals with ASD, learn how to differentiate teaching to engage and include students with autism in the classroom, and how to support strengths and interests in and out of school

Researchersand Disability Providers – Hear the latest in autism research from the Curtin University Research team, tune in to an informative panel discussion from local experts, and learn about what is being done locally to support people with autism in the workplace

People on the autism spectrum – learn how to find and keep your dream career, hear about how to transition from education to employment, see young digital artists map their unique DADAA journeys using visual presentations, learn the keys to success to work, life, play, and pick up tips on living independently within society

Ahead of Jacquiline den Houting’s appearance at the 2017 Autism West Symposium in November 2017, Nick McAllister caught up with her for an exclusive interview.

You were diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at 25. How did the diagnosis impact you? Do you consider age 25 a late diagnosis?

Being identified as Autistic was, more than anything, a relief.

I finally had an explanation for all the struggles I had experienced up until that point and finally understood why I had never really felt like I “fit in”.

Knowing that I was Autistic allowed me to give myself permission to stop trying to be this thing I wasn’t – a neurotypical person – and just work on being the best Autistic version of myself.

As I started getting into autism advocacy, I came to realise that being Autistic also made me a part of the broader disability community. Making the shift to start thinking of myself as a disabled person was actually more difficult than accepting my Autistic identity. I think that was largely because, like most people, I had preconceived ideas about what it meant to be disabled, and I didn’t see myself as fitting that. As my understanding of disability has grown, I have become a lot more comfortable with that aspect of my identity. I have learnt a lot from the disability community which has enabled me to be a more effective advocate, both for my own needs and also as part of the Autistic community.

I do think 25 is late to be identified as Autistic.

There are certainly lots of people out there who don’t discover their Autistic identity until much later than 25, but the average age for autism diagnosis these days is four years old, so 25 is definitely late compared to that. Having said that, Asperger’s didn’t even exist as a diagnosis until I was five, so being diagnosed in adulthood is pretty typical for my generation. I often wonder how my life may have been different if I knew I was Autistic when I was younger. On the one hand, I think my school years and mental health could have been better with the right support; but on the other hand, I worry that people may have underestimated my abilities and not provided me with the same opportunities for success.

A previous interviewee, Barb Cook, stated that there is an autism gender gap. Do you believe this is the case as a woman and an advocate on the spectrum?

Yes, there is absolutely a gender gap in autism, and there has been a lot of research coming out in the last few years trying to address our lack of knowledge around the typical presentation of autism in females. Statistically, around four times as many boys are identified as Autistic than girls, but I believe that the actual rates of autism are probably much closer than that – boys are just more likely to be recognised and diagnosed than girls.

I also think that it’s important not to over-emphasise the binary genders in conversations around autism and gender. We need to be careful about using terms like “female autism” and “male autism”, because there are many Autistic males who present with more typically “female” characteristics of autism, and vice-versa. It’s also important to keep in mind that we have a large community of Autistic people who are transgender or non-binary gender – Autistics are far more likely to be gender non-conforming than non-Autistic people – so we need to ensure that we’re not erasing that section of our community.

What drove you to become a professional psychologist?

If I’m honest, I really just fell into my career as a Psychologist. I have always had an interest in psychology and understanding how other people think, probably because I could recognise that my way of thinking was different from most people. At university, I studied psychology and criminology with the aim of becoming a Forensic Psychologist. I always had an interest in understanding criminal behaviour, perhaps because I spent so much time and effort doing my best to conform to societal expectations, and I was fascinated that people would deliberately choose to break those social conventions.

Six months after graduating university, I found myself being offered my second “real” job as a prison Psychologist. At that time, it was my dream job, but a requirement of getting the job was that I complete the two-year internship which would see me granted registration as a fully qualified Psychologist. I hadn’t actually intended to complete the internship, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. It’s now six years since I first registered myself as a fully qualified Psychologist, and I still smile on the inside every time I get to say “I’m a Psychologist”.

For those who don’t know much or anything about the neurodiversity movement, can you tell us a little about it?

There seem to be a lot of misconceptions out there about neurodiversity and the neurodiversity movement. I see a lot of people on social media say things like “I don’t believe in neurodiversity”, or “Neurodiversity is no use to my non-speaking child”, and those statements are almost always based in a misunderstanding of the basics of neurodiversity.

At its very simplest, neurodiversity refers to the differences that we all have in terms of how our brains are structured and function. Just like we all have different skin colour, eye colour, and hair, we also all have different brains – that’s neurodiversity.

The neurodiversity movement is a group of advocates who all believe specific things about neurodiversity. We believe that neurodiversity is a good thing – that it’s important and valuable to have people with all different types of brains in the world. We believe that no particular brain is better than any other brain – non-autistic brains aren’t better than Autistic brains, and vice-versa. Most importantly, we believe that all people are entitled to full and equal human rights, and that all people should have those human rights respected, regardless of how their brain works.

…all people are entitled to full and equal human rights, and that all people should have those human rights respected, regardless of how their brain works.

You spent five years working as a prison psychologist with Queensland Corrective Services. if a prisoner identifies with being autistic, what measures are in place to safe guard and support them whilst they serve their sentence?

Firstly, I think it’s important to point out that research shows Autistic people are more likely to be victims of crime rather than offenders, and we really should be concentrating more on efforts to keep Autistic people safe from victimisation.

…research shows Autistic people are more likely to be victims of crime rather than offenders, and we really should be concentrating more on efforts to keep Autistic people safe from victimisation.

The criminal justice system is very complex, and there are a whole range of different ways that offenders are dealt with, depending on their individual circumstances. Some Autistic offenders – particularly those with co-morbid intellectual disability or significant mental illness – are diverted out of the mainstream criminal justice system and into other systems, where their needs can be met more appropriately. In the time I spent working in the mainstream criminal justice system, I only met a handful of prisoners who identified as Autistic. Because the prison environment is very regulated, with clear rules and routines, most of the Autistic prisoners I met actually coped relatively well with their time in custody.

Having said that, though, there wasn’t a lot of support available for the few who didn’t cope so well. Autistic prisoners would be “flagged” in the computer system so that staff were aware of their neurodivergence, and often these prisoners would be accommodated in unofficial “special needs” units along with other prisoners who needed extra support. Largely, though, the support provided to Autistic prisoners depended on the knowledge, abilities, and resources of the psychological and custodial staff in each prison, meaning that the level of support prisoners received varied widely across the state, and might even change from day-to-day depending on which staff were rostered on to work.

Your advocacy interests include sexuality and gender identity in the autism community. How has this affected you as an autistic lesbian, and have you faced any discrimination?

I find the intersection between the LGBTI+ community and the Autistic community really fascinating. Of the Autistic people I know, I would guess that somewhere between half and three-quarters are also LGBTI+, and I’ve recently seen research which found that about half their Autistic participants were LGBTI+. From my personal experiences, I’ve found that the Autistic community is extremely inclusive and accepting regarding sexuality and gender identity. Maybe that’s because so many of us are LGBTI+ – if you’re gay or trans yourself, you’re probably less likely to discriminate against other gay or trans people.

From my personal experiences, I’ve found that the Autistic community is extremely inclusive and accepting regarding sexuality and gender identity.

The broader LGBTI+ community isn’t always so great at intersectionality. I think there’s definitely room for improvement in terms of making LGBTI+ events more accessible for Autistic people and disabled people more generally. In terms of discrimination, of course I’ve had the sideways looks and rude comments that every LGBTI+ person experiences, but I’ve been quite lucky in that I’ve never personally faced any significant discrimination due to my sexuality. The most significant discrimination that I face due to my sexuality is actually systemic discrimination – issues like marriage equality and my legal rights as a queer person, that kind of discrimination has a far greater impact on my life than any nasty comments do.

The most significant discrimination that I face due to my sexuality is actually systemic discrimination – issues like marriage equality and my legal rights as a queer person, that kind of discrimination has a far greater impact on my life than any nasty comments do.

What myths or perceptions do you think exist still in society around someone who identifies as being on the Autism Spectrum? Do you think that through your work and events such as the 2017 Autism West Symposium, beliefs can be changed?

I think there are still countless myths and misconceptions about autism and Autistic people. Largely, I think those beliefs depend on each individual person’s level of knowledge about autism. There are still plenty of people out there who know very little about autism, and those people might still have the misconception that all Autistic people are non-speaking with intellectual disability, or that we’re all like Rainman with amazing savant skills.

On the other hand, even people who do know quite a lot about autism often still have unhelpful beliefs, things like “we’re all a bit Autistic”, or “autism is just a difference, not a disability”, and although those are usually very well-intentioned beliefs, they can actually do some harm. The work I do is aimed more at that second type of person, it’s about taking people who are already quite knowledgeable about autism and really challenging their beliefs and encouraging them to examine and, hopefully, shift their thinking.

What message – if any – do you have for young girls and women who are autistic?

Oh, there are so many things I would like to say, but I’ll keep it to two.

First, be yourself and be confident in who you are.

Autistic girls and women tend to be really good at fitting in, flying under the radar, putting on social “masks” and imitating other people to fit in. That can be a really useful skill to have sometimes, but it’s so important to also hold on to your sense of who you truly are. Don’t let anyone try to change you, don’t feel like you have to change yourself, just be authentic and never lose the “real you”.

Don’t let anyone try to change you, don’t feel like you have to change yourself, just be authentic and never lose the “real you”.

Second, find your tribe!

Find the people who understand you and will accept you for exactly who you are. Spend time with other Autistic people. Learn from other Autistic people, share your experiences, cultivate those relationships, and find your place in our amazing Autistic community.

Finally, I read that you have a dislike for ironing and Dyson Airblade hand dryers. Can you please explain why?!

Hahaha. Well, my hatred for Dyson Airblades is purely a sensory thing. Their sound is horrifically loud and awful, and they’re unpredictable – you just never know when they’re suddenly going to start that terrible screaming. Sometimes I feel like they lurk in the corners of shopping malls, waiting to jump out and start roaring when I least expect it!

My dislike of ironing, on the other hand, has nothing to do with autism. It’s just a boring, mundane job. Nobody really likes ironing, right? I know a lot of the things I say are a bit controversial, but surely we can all agree on that one. Ironing sucks.

Jacquiline will be speaking at the 2017 Autism West Symposium, to be held in Fremantle, Western Australia, on the 3rd and 4th of November 2017. Book your tickets now!

About Jacquiline den Houting

Jaquiline den Houting is a registered psychologist and determined Autistic advocate with unique experience in her field; she spent 5 years working as a prison psychologist with Queensland Corrective Services, and now holds a position with the Queensland Police Service. Jacky is a current member of the executive committee of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Australia and New Zealand, an all-Autistic advocacy organisation committed to bringing about systemic change in order to improve the lives of Autistic people.